M38 : OK, Boomer

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Sat Feb 26, 2022 4:24 pm

Thought I heard you say it before so I was thinking you might want to contact the guy for a visit?
You know, to compare experiences and notes, take some photos, maybe get leads to good stuff and other M38 owners close by?
And maybe he also has some rare hard-to-find spare parts he might part with for a fair price?

Christmas shopping! Take your wife!

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Sat Feb 26, 2022 7:27 pm

Yup. M38 guys are rare. I will drop him a line.

Here is the distributor back on the engine. *** Hmm. Now what?

Also working on reattaching the cowl BB.

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Sat Feb 26, 2022 8:57 pm

Naugha wrote:Here is the distributor back on the engine. *** Hmm. Now what?

Finish the static timing procedure.

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Sun Mar 06, 2022 6:26 pm

My 78 year old mechanic friend Jerry came to the barn and got me on track for some of the next resto steps. Jerry is a ‘nam combat vet, Purple Heart, a soft-spoken man.

Turns out a 180 mistake was made when I rebuilt the distributor.
Today I took the dist apart, rotated the cam fitting 180 & reassembled.
Which put the dist shaft tang in the proper orientation for the oil pump tang.
Which put the rotor in the proper down/ #1 cylinder position.

Also attached the starter..... cleaned to metal all grounding surfaces.

Baby steps. My hands hurt but there is progress.

RICKG · Post by **RICKG** » Sun Mar 06, 2022 6:45 pm

And you bought the beer, right Don?

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Mon Mar 14, 2022 7:41 pm

Moving along.

Problem. The elbow at the bottom of my Military Junior oil canister touches the top cannon plug of the generator.
I did a Bubba Mod for now until I can figure out a proper fix.

Uh..... when can I put on the tub ????

Post by **wesk** » Mon Mar 14, 2022 10:40 pm

That looks like a civvy oil filter housing. The civvy generators are much smaller in diameter then the military generator. Your M38 came with a cuno oil filter which is a lot smaller. The Army eventually phased out the cuno for the M38A1's military junior cannister filter which is not as tall as the civvy one.

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:18 am

I may do the dual filament/amber painted turn signal mod for the front marker lights.
Found these sockets with nice little ears that almost match the mounting holes inside the can.

Not sure if the wiring is up to the job. Wiring on the sockets is marked:
AWM 1 A 105degC 600V 20AWG FT1 AWM 1015

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 10:41 am

Don,
If some photos with measurements of a Military Standard Junior oil filter canister would be helpful, let me know.

You're thinking of having amber-colored front blackout marker lights (instead of white blackout marker lights) that also double as turn signals? What color blackout marker lights will you have in the rear?

I agree that 20 gauge wire is light for 24 volts. Might want to up that to 14 gauge.

Can't help but notice that several of your head studs look awfully short. What's up with that?

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 6:11 pm

Here is the filter before being repainted.

Here is the axe I found last week at a local garage sale

Here is the shovel I bought two years ago at a MVPA event.

Here is a big screw up..... Probably need to pull the head to get it off.

RonD2 · Post by **RonD2** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 6:29 pm

Guessing you don't want photos or measurements of an oil filter canister.

Nice axe and shovel score.

Ok, I'll bite. What big screw-up? Pull the head to get what off? The water jacket plug for the by-pass hose? Why pull the head to do that? Can't get a wrench on it?

I thought you were talking about replacing the short head studs.....guess not.

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Tue Mar 15, 2022 8:19 pm

“The water jacket plug for the by-pass hose? Why pull the head to do that? Can't get a wrench on it? “ Ron

That plug is on there tight.
Blunted the edges of the square then stopped.

Should have. Could have.

On the oil filter bumping the generator.... I think when the belts sink into the grooves and the belts stretch “a wee bit” ..... there will be enough clearance for me to remove the Bubba Bracket.

Not sure about the head studs. I bought new ones including the two longish studs. The nuts go down flush on the studs that hold the oil canister bracket. If there is no functional issue maybe I will let it pass.... more concerned about that by-pass plug.

Trying to get momentum, then stuff happens.

Post by **wesk** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 2:45 am

The "Military Standard" cannister is considerably taller than the Military Junior cannister. You clearly have the wrong cannister for your jeep.

Looks like you have a junior strap on a senior standard cannister. which explains the large space from the top strap to the cannister lid.

As for square plugs they do make an entire set of square plug sockets that do not round off the corners.

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Wed Mar 16, 2022 5:31 am

I will take off paint from the base of the plug, drip in some PB blaster every day or three for a week or two..... that did the trick on a few other stuck things. Will also purchase the correct square plug sockets.

I have a biggish breaker bar that I used to snap off several other things. Also have a HF air impact gun, propane torch, two pounds of Hercules smokeless powder and a brick of primers ..... just in case.

The oil canister was a surprise.
Junior v Senior but neither have those words stamped on the top ?
My top shows Military Standard Purolator 25791 .
Will make some measurements and review the pics.
The upcoming MVPA rally shopping list continues to grow.

Naugha · Post by **Naugha** » Thu Mar 17, 2022 3:23 pm

Here is another view of my oil canister.
Maybe Ron can rattle off the Junior vs Senior can dimensions.